Hiya!
I hope everyone had an enjoyable and relaxing 4th of July! I spent much of the long weekend working “on” my studio. Meaning working on cleaning and organizing my studio. I know, I know still “working on it!” I went through a lot of things I have not seen in years, literally. I was finding things that I had forgotten I had even!
One such item I sort of forgotten about was niobium. What exactly is niobium? Not many people have even heard of niobium. If you have some metal allergies, love jewelry but can’t wear a lot of it keep reading as niobium might be the answer!
Niobium is a gray colored element that was discovered in the 1800’s by chemist Charles Hatchett. It is produced both as a pure metal and also in alloys. Niobium is rare, relatively valuable and similar in appearance to metals like platinum or titanium. When anodized it produces a rainbow of beautiful, iridescent, eye catching colors! It makes for some striking jewelry. And the best part, it’s hypoallergenic and extremely safe to wear.
colorful niobium findings used in jewelry making
Aside from making beautiful jewelry, niobium has been used in medical devices and prosthetics. It has applications in technology, jet engines and even railroad tracks!
While not a precious metal, like gold, silver, platinum and palladium, its value is more than that of silver and it is much more valued than industrial metals such as tungsten, titanium or stainless steel, all too which are sometimes used in making jewelry.
One of niobium’s stand out qualities is its ability to reflect iridescent colors on its surface. These colors appear when niobium is heated and anodized. This is comparable to patinas and plating on other metals. Unlike patinas and plating the colors will not flake or wear off. This means not only are the colors safe to wear but permanent as well!
I already mentioned niobium’s hypoallergenic properties. If you have metal sensitivities and are looking for a safe metal to wear on your body or for piercings niobium is for you! It is nickel free and contains no allergens. I use niobium ear wires in all my copper earrings, as a good share of the population has a sensitivity to copper including me! If you find yourself having sensitivity to sterling silver it is most likely due to the .75 percent copper in it!
Niobium is still a bit of a rarity. Demand and interest in niobium has been increasing over the years. Niobium jewelry is still a very small percentage of jewelry overall. So if you want jewelry that is a bit unique (my specialty) and a bit rare, seek out niobium jewelry. While niobium isn’t the least expensive of metals used in jewelry, it is much more affordable than gold and platinum and is a tad more expensive than silver.
Niobium is highly durable and scratch resistant but yet very lightweight making it easy to wear! It is also easy to maintain. It does not tarnish and does not need polishing to keep its shine. Simply use a mild detergent like Dawn and water to maintain its luster.
Be watching for more niobium jewelry from CKS jewelry in the next few months.
Visit www.cksventures.com for niobium metal jewelry and much more!
ENJOY!!
cheryl